Adjusting the position fitting of timepiece components, in particular wheel set arbours, is always a difficult operation reserved for the most experienced professionals.
Movements are not always devised to facilitate position fitting or setting the distance between centres, to adjust gearings, the height of the wheel sets or to distribute any play.
EP Patent Application No 12161058.8 in the name of ETA SA discloses a movement devised for micrometric adjustment through a controlled movement of one end of an arbour. This micrometric mechanism requires a combination of finely adjusted components: eccentric screw, lever-lifting piece, which occupy space in the movement and involve significant cost.
It is therefore worthwhile to search for a mechanism architecture having a reduced number of components and moderate manufacturing costs, which is compact and not only permits fine adjustment to be performed, but achieves this without disturbing the geometry of the neighbouring components and maintains the adjustments once performed. This mechanism must also permit the holding means to be obscured during the adjustment phase, so as not to disrupt the mechanism.
CH Patent Application No 703463A2 in the name of NIVAROX discloses a balance with insert-free inertia adjustment, which includes a hooking means in a single-piece with the felloe arranged to cooperate with a complementary hooking means also in a single-piece with the felloe, both formed by toothed sectors with an inclined toothing.
EP Patent No 2450757 in the name of NIVAROX discloses an anti-trip mechanism with a moveable bistable assembly, preferably in a single-piece with the balance, and including a rotor fixed to the balance, and a bistable lever which is pivotably moveable relative to the rotor and pivots about an arbour parallel to and distinct from that of the rotor, one part of the trajectory of the bistable lever interfering with the balance pin. The connection between the rotor and the bistable lever is achieved, in a particular variant, by an elastic return means.
WO Patent Application No 90/01731A1 in the name of SKIDATA discloses a watch case including an open elastic loop type securing element, with a hook at the end cooperating with a notch comprised in the single-piece structure of the case.
WO Patent Application No 2011/120180A1 in the name of ROLEX discloses a clamping device for a toothed wheel, with elastic connecting elements in a single-piece with the structure. EP Patent Application No 2105806A1 in the name of GIRARD-PERREGAUX also discloses an escapement mechanism with a bistable strip spring in a single-piece with a structure in which it is mounted by buckling.